


Together

by ragdollrory



Series: Fire and Blood snippets and alternate paths [4]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Implied/Referenced Suicide attempt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-27
Updated: 2019-12-27
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:34:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21985984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ragdollrory/pseuds/ragdollrory
Summary: Figments of Azula and Zuko's life throughout the years. Fire and Blood compliant.
Series: Fire and Blood snippets and alternate paths [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1582678
Comments: 5
Kudos: 26





	Together

**Author's Note:**

> This was a Tumblr ask that got slightly longer than intended. It's filled with headcanons from the roleplay universe me and my partner have created, so if you're curious, there's more details about it in the notes at the end.

“What do you want Zuzu? I’m doing something, don’t annoy me.” A six year old Azula said, a recently learned, and perfected in front of the mirror, smirk on her lips.

“Want to play, Azula?” Her brother asked, a board game in his hands.

“No, that game is dumb,  _ like you _ . And I told you, I’m doing something. Go bother mom.”

**-**

“You shouldn’t have spoken out of term, brother, now look at what happened to you.” She drawled from the entrance to Zuko’s room, he was leaving, he had to.

“ _ Shut up, Azula! _ ” He turned to her, and the bandage over his eye made her stomach twist uncomfortably. “Can’t you just be glad I’m leaving without bothering me?”

He bumped on her shoulder as he left; she felt his heat there for weeks afterwards.

**-**

“I can feel you standing there Zuko, haven’t we had this conversation already?” Azula was in the training field, trying to get a movement just right. She started it again, but was cut short by her brother’s voice.

“We had, but I can’t believe you. Why did you lie to father?” His voice was troubled, maybe if he didn’t like the lie, he would like the truth.

“Because  _ I missed you _ Zuzu.” But when she turned to prove her honesty, he was already leaving with a huff, and frustrated flames leaving his hands.

**-**

“It’s the right thing to do, Prince Zuko.” Azula heard the voice of their uncle through the daze that was whatever sedatives they had given her.

“Then why does it feel so  _ wrong _ , uncle?” Zuko asked, and she thought she felt his fingers on her hair, but maybe that had been the drugs too.

She had been unable to open her eyes then, much as she tried, and by the time she could do it, all she saw was white padded walls, before the tears blurred her vision.

**-**

“I’m sorry Zuko, I really am,  _ please, _ I can’t be here one more day, I can hardly bend anymore.” She pleaded like she did every time he visited, nails digging on the fabric of his tunic, and the warm skin underneath.

Azula’s blood had always run hotter than Zuko’s, and practically everyone else’s, but this cuffs made her feel like she was made of ice.

“I am working on it, Azula, I swear I am.” He placed a hand over hers, and she leaned more into his side, memorizing the temperature for when he left again.

“Please hurry. My fire is no longer blue, Zuzu.” She whispered, almost wishing he didn’t hear how low she’d fallen. Almost.

**-**

Waking up at the palace after so many years, felt as wrong as waking up at the asylum for the first time. Did she even belong there anymore?

It was no long after she opened her eyes that the panic hit her. But it had only taken a sob out of her lips, to feel his hands on her sides, pulling her close in an embrace.

“I’m right here, Azula,  _ you’re home _ , everything's going to be okay now.” He said soothingly.

She cried on her brother’s shoulder every morning for weeks, before she realised she was allowed back forever.

**-**

“Aunt Zula!” The toddler ran straight to her legs, and she reached down to pick her up, and hoist her on her hip.

“Yes, my princess?” Azula asked, her eyes going past the girl, at her father, and the smile in his lips. He walked towards them.

“ _ I missed you! _ ” Her voice was so squeaky yet. She pinched the girl’s cheek.

“Have you now? I’ve only been gone for like a week.” Zuko’s hand found the small of her back, and he kissed her cheek. She let her eyes close a little to the affection.

“You’re always missed when you leave, no matter how long.” He said to her hair, and she pressed her niece tighter to her side.

**-**

“What’s on your mind Azula? You have  _ that _ face.” Zuko handed her a glass of sparkling wine. She turned to him, reaching to his shoulder, fixing the pad of his Fire Lord regalia.

“Isn’t she too young to be married?” She finally asked what had been eating her inside for weeks now. “Aren’t you worried?”

Her brother smiled amused, taking the hand on his shoulder to his lips, brushing a kiss on it. He turned to look at the people on the dance floor, and she copied his movement, noticing he hadn’t let go of her hand. Always so sappy.

“I always worry about you girls.” Zuko answered, and it was so much she could do not to smack him over the head for including her on the list. Or maybe it was a hug that she wanted to give him. She smiled to her glass.

**-**

Azula brushed the hair away from Izumi’s face, the girl was exhausted. Against her every instinct, she leaned to kiss her forehead, her niece’s skin still flushed, and covered by a thin layer of sweat.

“He’s  _ ridiculously chubby _ for a newborn.” She said, walking up to her brother holding the little baby, her great-nephew. “I guess the name is fitting, after all, Uncle was renowned by his roundess.”

“That’s true.” His voice cracked, and she hugged him, leaving baby Iroh sandwiched between them. A tear fell on the blanket wrapped around the child, and she wasn’t sure if it was Zuko’s or hers.

“We’ll have to keep him away from cake.” Zuko said after a while, and they chuckled through the memory caught on their throats.

“Oh, now all I’m giving him is cake.” Azula teased, finding her brother’s gaze, the mirror that were his shimmering golden eyes. “Until he’s old enough for wine, that is.” She smirked, and he laughed, and the baby gurgled; he was clearly on board with her plan.

**-**

“Let’s go out.” He called from the library’s door. She looked up from her book, leaning to the side over the chaise armrest.

“Sure…” Azula answered hesitantly, but getting up anyway. “Where are we going?” She asked, lacing her arm with his.

Zuko didn’t answer right away, and they had almost reached the palace’s outer walls when he spoke, she didn’t mind it, their silences were comfortable.

“We’re going to have lunch,  _ just you and I _ .” She glanced sideways to him, and found him smiling down to her. He was so weird. She smiled back.

**-**

Azula saw her brother leave the room with a healer, and turned to her nephew sitting next to her, his back straight, and chin up, ever the little prince. She looked down at the tiny baby in her arms, and back at Iroh, and decided he was capable enough.

“Iroh, will you hold your sister for me for a moment?” She asked, and maybe he sensed the urgency in her voice, because he shook away the initial worry from his adorable regal features, and nodded.

She asked that he sat all the way back on the sofa, and handed the baby, propping her up with a pillow on the boy’s lap, after a while, all babies weighted, no matter how small.

“How is she?” Azula asked, worried sick for her niece. These past hours had been  _ torture _ for all of them. This pregnancy had been complicated since day one, and today, Zuko’s pain was palpable all over the palace, and she’d dare say all across the nation; his heat uncontrollable, as he worried over his daughter.

He just hugged her, and for the longest second, Azula feared the worst. But then he murmured positive words against her temple, and she pressed him towards her tightly, letting them both relax in the embrace, before going back to the little heir and his baby sister.

**-**

“What are you, _ lovely princesses, _ doing?” Her brother’s voice reached them from behind, and she placed her hands over his, as he touched her shoulders to kiss her cheek, and then stooped down to do the same with Shiko.

“We’re talking to the flowers,  _ apparently _ .” Azula answered, her voice a mixture of amusement and utter disbelief. Had she ever been told, back when she was young, that she would be doing this in the future, she would’ve zapped some sense into the poor soul who dared say that.

“We’re talking to the flowers grandpa!” The girl repeated her words.

“Are you now?” Zuko laughed, picking the girl up, and carrying her over to the dangling ones in the gallery. Shiko would not let go of Azula’s hand, so she was forced to follow.

The girl continued speaking in her half tongue, telling the plants what she had eaten, her bedtime stories, her favourite colour… it was completely demented in Azula’s book, but in a totally endearing way at that. She leaned into her brother’s shoulder, and he rested his head on hers in turn, as they too, listened to the little princess’ voice.

**-**

In just two days, Azula had been shattered to dust, and put back together, and by the time it all ended, all she could think of was in how much she needed her brother, and she hoped he would need her too. Or at least didn’t push her away.

She was waiting in his bedroom, a very inappropriate invasion of his privacy, but she was unsure of how long it would take him to return, and the little girl with her was a mess, their rooms probably still in flames, both of them exhausted.

“Zula.” Her brother’s whisper woke her up, and she made to get up, but a hand held her in place. She looked down, at the little source of heat between her arms, now sleeping peacefully.

“ _ Is everything alright? _ ” She asked, as tears threatened to spill again. She held on tighter to Shiko, her only respite right now.

“As much as it can be, yes. The healers say he’ll recover.” Zuko’s voice was broken, and his reddened eyes were evidence of the pain that had permeated the palace’s walls.

Azula held her hand out, her eyes pleading, and he laid down with them; Shiko in the middle under the covers, and their hands reaching for one another over her tiny frame. They fell asleep like that, the picture of a broken family again.

**-**

“Come train with me Zuko.” She all but ordered, putting her hands over the papers on his desk.

He looked up at her, mildly annoyed, she raised an eyebrow to him. Zuko leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest, Azula pressed her lips together.

It was stupid, she was going to win, he knew. She fished out the paper he had been working on, a flame on her index digit of her free hand. He sighed and got up, making his way around the desk, and out the office. She left the paper back in its place, and followed suit.

“Why you insist in this battle of wills when you know you’ll lose, still baffles me, Zuzu.” Azula laced their arms together, he chuckled.

“Just you wait, one day I won’t be Fire Lord anymore, and then you’ll have nothing to threaten me with.” His voice was amused, so she gave him a little zapp on his side.

“ _ Soon? _ ” She asked, unable to avoid the hope laced in her voice.

“Soon.” He answered.

**-**

“Can you believe those two?” Azula asked, as Zuko came to her side. “We were never like that, right?”

Zuko looked at the training field, where Iroh and Shiko were doing anything  _ but _ proper training forms. He chuckled.

“No, I’m afraid we weren’t, too much protocol ingrained into us, it took a lot more time to break it.” He placed a hand around her waist, hugging her to his side. “I’m glad for them though, for the longest time, I feared they would never find themselves.”

She hummed in agreement, it sure had been a hard path for those siblings too, but they were still so young, they would have so much to live together still, and with a far less haunting past.

“Are we going to show them how it’s done, or what?” Azula asked after a while, smirking up at her brother, now a prince again. His laugh was music to her ears, and he gave her a squeeze, before letting go and walking the path to where the younger duo was practicing.

No-one won anything, but they sure had fun.

**-**

The ceremony had been almost exactly like Izumi’s, except Shiko had barely hold still through the whole thing, and Azula’s hand itched to zap the girl. And yet, when the crown was placed on her head, she had shed tears for her great-niece; the girl had certainly fought with tooth and nails for this, and Azula was proud of her.

Zuko had been quiet most of the affair, she had heard him in the distance talk with Shiko’s fianceè, and congratulate the girl for her newest position, but besides that, he’d been pensevie, and withdrawn.

She had been on the dancefloor with Iroh, more swaying to the music than actually dancing, when she saw her brother leave the room, and excused herself to follow him.

“Don’t you  _ dare _ leave me, Zuko.” Azula threatened, but the fear was solely on her end. He turned to her with an inquisitive look. “I know what you’ve been thinking lately, and I’m warning you, don’t you dare go without me,  _ do you hear me? _ ”

Zuko reached out for her, and she laced her fingers with his, walking to sit next to him on a patio bench. The night was clear, and you could see every star in the sky, she let her head rest on his shoulder.

“Are you serious Azula?” He asked several minutes later, somewhere in the background music was still playing, and she found herself surprisingly happy, despite the current topic at hand. “I didn’t think you’d want to.”

“You never asked.” She answered, not a reproach, but a mere statement.

Zuko pulled away, taking her face between his hands, searching her eyes like he did, whenever he couldn’t quite believe her. “I wasn’t sure you’d like it there.” She chuckled.

“I probably won’t, not like this, not like our home.” Sadness threatened to take over her, but she pushed it away, there was no reason to be sad over this. “But Uncle is there, and honestly Zuko, I’ll live with a talking carrot every day for the rest of eternity, if it means I’ll never leave your side.”

Ever the impetuous one, Zuko crushed her on a hug, and a few tears escaped her, falling over his dress robes, as she hugged him back.

“I won’t leave you, Azula.” He whispered. “ _ Ever _ .”

“Good, I won’t do it either, dum dum.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you've reached all the way here, and are a little lost, I have some extra information about how this verse works.
> 
> At the end of the war, Azula is sent to the asylum. She spends 10 years there before returning to the palace.
> 
> Izumi's second child is an OC of mine, Princess Shiko. She is born sick, but gets better with time, and becomes an extraordinary bender much like her aunt.
> 
> Iroh II, following my partner's hc (Tumblr: youngestgeneral), attempted suicide at 18, and joined the United Forces afterwards, hoping to put some distance between him and the pressure of the crown. 
> 
> Shiko later on asks him to abdicate to the throne in her favor, and becomes the Fire Lord after Izumi.
> 
> When their time comes, Azula and Zuko go to the Spirit World with their uncle.


End file.
